


What Measure a Hero?

by RoseRose



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Gen, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-21 11:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21298631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseRose/pseuds/RoseRose
Summary: Poem character study of Tony Stark. Looks at canon, so Endgame compliant. Fill for fac_et_spera for Marvel Trumps Hate 2019.Prompt was for "supposing I should have the courage" and Tony. I hope this fills it
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14
Collections: Marvel Trumps Hate 2019





	What Measure a Hero?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [doandhope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doandhope/gifts).

> Thank you to PinkGold for the beta!
> 
> All errors are mine

“I am not courageous” says the stubborn man  
As he is tortured for plans that would kill many  
Staying silent in the face of worse than death  
In order to protect the world at hand

“I am not brave” says the generous man  
Giving his company away even as things change  
Fighting on stage to keep robotic murder away  
From a little boy first, then the rest of the world

“I am not valorous” says the selfless man  
As he rides a nuke into a wormhole  
Saving a city despite being misjudged  
His life he would give for the whole world

And no matter what he does the refrain  
Never changes from event to event  
He did what had to be done, not something  
He deserves to be given praise for in the end

“I am not strong” says the persistent man  
Fighting through his own demons and the  
Threats against what he loves. Saving  
A country as he saves his heart

“I am not good” says the penitent man  
Who only wanted to protect the world from  
Threats from space and found it misjudged. Yet  
He then went and stopped his own creation

“I am not reflective” said the resolute man  
Who wants a way to stop good from becoming  
Evil. Driven too far, he still works hard to  
Protect what he can hold tight to him.

“I am not selfless” says the protective man  
Again sacrificing for the whole world. This  
Time what he loses seems almost too much  
As he failed instead of won or at least a draw.

Maybe he can retire, try to forget the pain  
That fighting has brought him. Ignoring the world  
Keeping love close, and maybe a happy ending  
It wasn't perfect, but nothing was-

“I am not courageous” says the stubborn man  
Who would save the world.  
And he snapped-

“He is courageous” Said a grateful world  
Too late for him to hear it  
Because until they are dead people are  
Too human to be our heroes.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [What Measure a Hero? [podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655042) by [Ravin_Pods (Ravin)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravin/pseuds/Ravin_Pods)


End file.
